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January 20
1800s *1871 - The first franchise in the yet-to-be formed National Association of Professional Baseball Players is born. The Boston Red Stockings, the league’s charter franchise, will be managed by Harry Wright, who had founded and managed the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team. Two months later, the NAPBP will officially open for business, as the future National League Braves are born. *1882 - The Kentucky Legislature modifies a recently passed law which inadvertently prohibited the playing of baseball games in the commonwealth. *1885 - The American Association is reorganized, with clubs from St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, Louisville, New York and Baltimore. 1900s-1930s *1916 - The New York Giants buy center fielder Edd Roush from the Newark Pepper of the Federal League for $7,500. Roush will hit just .188 in New York before being packaged to Cincinnati, where he will blossom into a Hall of Famer. *1930 - Commissioner Landis bans boxing for all players in baseball following the brief boxing career of Chicago White Sox first baseman Art Shires. His challenge to slugger Hack Wilson purportedly prompts the ban. Shires fought several suspected bouts that resulted in his being suspended by the boxing commissions of 32 states but loses a desultory five-rounder to Chicago Bears center George (The Brute) Trafton. Shires did win a punch out with Sox manager Lena Blackburne and two hotel detectives late last season. *1931 - Joe Sewell, released by the Cleveland Indians after last season, signs with the New York Yankees. The future Hall of Fame shortstop will finish his 14-season career in 1933. 1940s-1950s *1946 - In a classic pitching matchup played in the newly constituted Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Venezuela, Alex Carrasquel of Magallanes beat Roy Welmaker and Vargas club, 3–2, in 17 innings. In the six-and-a-half-hour marathon, Carrasquel is good enough to silence the bats of Roy Campanella and Sam Jethroe. Both pitchers go the distance in one of the greatest matchups ever. *1947 - Former Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson dies from a brain tumor at the age of 35. Considered by many to be the greatest home run hitter in the history of the Negro Leagues, Gibson will eventually gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1972, when he is selected by the Special Committee on the NL. *1954 - The Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators trade catchers with Joe Tipton going to Washington for Mickey Grasso. 1960s-1970s *1965 - The Cleveland Indians re-acquire popular slugger Rocky Colavito from the Chicago White Sox in an eight-players, three-way trade involving the Kansas City Athletics. In the deal, the White Sox send a player to be named later (pitcher Fred Talbot) and outfielders Jim Landis and Mike Hershberger to Kansas City in exchange for Colavito. Chicago also send catcher Cam Carreon to the Indians and receives catcher Johnny Romano, outfielder Tommie Agee and pitcher Tommy John from Cleveland. In 1960, the Indians had traded Colavito to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn, drawing the wrath of Cleveland fans. *1966 - The Baseball Writers Association of America elects Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last major league batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes. He won the Triple Crown twice, American League MVP Award twice, and produced the highest on-base average of all time (.483), even though he lost five years to military service. *1970 - Shortstop Lou Boudreau achieves the Hall of Fame, receiving 232 of a possible 300 votes from the BBWAA. Boudreau led the American League eight times in fielding percentage, won a batting title, and was named AL Most Valuable Player as player-manager of the 1948 World Champion Indians. *1977 - The Yankees obtain outfielder Paul Blair from Baltimore for two prospects. Blair will prove a fine defensive addition to the Yankees. 1980s-1990s *1984: **The Montreal Expos sign 42-year-old free agent Pete Rose. The veteran first baseman batted only .245 in 1983, the last of his five seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose will play only 95 games for the Expos before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds. **The Chicago White Sox claim 39-year-old pitcher Tom Seaver from the New York Mets as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Dennis Lamp to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets left Seaver off their protected list assuming (wrongly) that no team would want to select the aging star, who finished 1983 with a 9-14 record and a 3.55 ERA. But Seaver will improve to 15-11 with the White Sox in 1984. *1996: **Free agent IF/OF Tony Phillips and the Chicago White Sox agree to a $4.3 million, two-year contract. **The Milwaukee Brewers sign free agent starter Ben McDonald to a $7 million, two-year contract. *1997 - Former All-Star outfielder Curt Flood, who challenged baseball's reserve system and made possible today's megasalaries, dies at age 59. *1998 - Veterans reliever Lee Smith and third baseman Terry Pendleton sign minor league contracts with the Kansas City Royals, who invite them to spring training camp as non–roster players. 2000s *2000 - The 30 major league owners vote to give all their internet rights to the commissioner's office. Bud Selig is expected to parcel out monies in equal amounts. *2005 - Eric Gagné and the Los Angeles Dodgers agree to a $19 million, two-year deal. The 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner, who set a major league record with 84 consecutive saves from August, 2002 to July, 2004, made $5 million last year after arbitrators ruled in favor of the club’s offer over the $8 million request made by the Los Angeles closer. *2006: **Cuba will be allowed to play in the World Baseball Classic, after all. The President Bush administration issued a license allowing the Cubans to participate in the 16-team tournament. **Less than three months after resigning as the team's general manager, Theo Epstein returned to the front office of the Boston Red Sox. **Pitcher Bronson Arroyo agreed to a three-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, and the San Diego Padres claimed first baseman Walter Young off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. Births *1913 - Jimmy Outlaw, IF/OF (d. 2006) *1917 - Joe Dobson, All-Star pitcher (d. 1994) *1918 - Sam Jethroe, outfielder (d. 2001) *1920 - Sammy Hairston, catcher (d. 1997) *1929 - Gale Wade, outfielder *1933 - Gene Stephens, outfielder *1934 - Camilo Pascual, All-Star pitcher *1936 - Jesse Gonder, catcher (d. 2004) *1963 - Cecil Espy, outfielder *1964 - Ozzie Guillén, All-Star player and manager *1965 - Kevin Maas, infielder *1970 - Marvin Benard, outfielder *1973 - Julio Santana, pitcher *1975 - David Eckstein, All-Star infielder *1978 - John Rodríguez, outfielder *1981 - Franklyn German, pitcher Deaths *1916 - Emmet Heidrick, outfielder (b. 1876) *1947 - Josh Gibson, Hall of Fame Negro League player (b. 1911) *1952 - Ollie Pickering, outfielder (b. 1870) *1965 - Nick Altrock, pitcher (b. 1876) *1997 - Curt Flood, All-Star outfielder (b. 1997) *2000 - Ron Herbel, pitcher (b. 1938) *2004 - Lloyd Merriman, outfielder (b. 1924)